Gearbox Overhaul/Rebuild

[barbadosGreen]

I'm planning to overhaul the M22 Aussie 4 speed in my HQ van. I may do it myself - I did the 3-speed in the EH van a long time ago - or I may get someone to rebuild it for me.

Has anyone had a box done by AUSTRALIAN 4SPEED SPECIALISTS 34 KENNEDY AVE BELMORE 2192
(http://www.freewebs.com/aussie4speeds/home.htm)

Happy with the results? Changeover or your own box rebuilt? Any feedback would be appreciated.

Cheers

Bruce

[TwoTees]

Hi Bruce,
Can't help with a recommendation for the supplier mentioned but when it comes to having work done I am very much a Cynic.
I loved your van story in the other threads and if it were my van and I had the skills, would rebuild it myself. Not so much to save money but to know that every bearing and syncro was replaced and not just the ones that that needed doing at the time. Plus, for the satisfaction of doing it yourself.
Cheers, Chris

[HK1837]

They are easy to rebuild but tedious. Professionals will do a good job too, but you can do it yourself. Best bit of advice is to get a piece of wood dowel slightly smaller than the layshaft and use it to hold the needle rollers in, and drive it out the front with the new layshaft when putting it back together. I reckon you'll need at least:

Cluster gear;
1st gear;
4 x synchros;
Bearings;
Small parts kit.

You may also find the case hardening on the input shaft is gone too. You can bush the cluster gear with a sintered bronze bush which makes rebuilding a breeze.

[HQ SS]

If you do go ahead with the rebuild yourself you may find some of the pictures here
http://gallery.oldholden.com/HQ_SS/T...s/Aussie+4spd/
of some use.
Another trick on the aussie box's is the R+ R of the rear extension housing.
Here is what I jotted down for someone else a while ago.
When you go to take the rear housing off loosen the bolt that holds the reverse light switch and detent ball and spring.
Loosen the bolt enough to move the switch away from the reverse gear leaver but not right out.
Then loosen the reverse gear lock nut but not off leave it on a few threads at least, then tap the center pin down with a hammer.
The reason for doing this is that it lowers the reverse gear pivot in side the gearbox.
Now remove all the bolts that hold the rear housing on and pull it backwards off the main housing.
You may have to give it a tap to dislodge it from the locating dowels.
Now if you pull it back and down it may pull the reverse gear back on the main shaft a bit which is good, as it will give you a bit more room to disengage the reverse gear from the pivot arm.
Then rear housing should come off (you may have to twist it a little bit to one side still to disengage it)

If you put a little bit of grease on the new gasket when you go to put it back on it will hold it in place on the main housing.
Now the other pictures are to do with the thrust washers on the reverse idler gear.
These tend to move or fall off the reverse idle shaft when you disassemble the rear housing.
If you have a look at the pictures it shows what you need to do with them before reassembly if you do not locate them corectly they will bind up the reverse gear idler
and make it hard to turn the box from the input shaft when not in gear and will end up with them spinning in the box and damaging the housing.
To refit the rear housing on to the case it is a mater of locating the reverse gear pivot in to reverse gear then pushing the housing forward and
then locate the reverse gear idler in to the thrust washer then the back housing of the box.
Then locate on the dowels, fit a couple of bolts in to the housing and lightly tighten up.
If it gets harder to turn the input shaft when you have tightened it up it may of moved on the thrust washers.
Now tighten up the reverse gear pivot nut and try the operation of the reverse gear mechanism to make sure it is all working ok.
The pictures numbered 001 to 008 on the above link are to do with this text.

Also other than HK 1837's way of doing the layshaft bearings is that you can get them all to stay in place if you use Vaseline on the inside of the gear and also on the
rollers themselves.
You can also use it to hold the layshaft thrust washers in place when you put the gear back into the box.
Grease does the same thing but the vaso melts out real fast once the box warms up and lets the oil in to lube everything up quicker.
Just do not give it a hard time until it has had time for the oil to work its way in.
Cheers Paul.

[barbadosGreen]

Thanks Paul for that detail - I might just have a go at it myself after all.

Cheers

Bruce

[HK1837]

If you do go ahead with the rebuild yourself you may find some of the pictures here
http://gallery.oldholden.com/HQ_SS/T...s/Aussie+4spd/
of some use.
Another trick on the aussie box's is the R+ R of the rear extension housing.
Here is what I jotted down for someone else a while ago.
When you go to take the rear housing off loosen the bolt that holds the reverse light switch and detent ball and spring.
Loosen the bolt enough to move the switch away from the reverse gear leaver but not right out.
Then loosen the reverse gear lock nut but not off leave it on a few threads at least, then tap the center pin down with a hammer.
The reason for doing this is that it lowers the reverse gear pivot in side the gearbox.
Now remove all the bolts that hold the rear housing on and pull it backwards off the main housing.
You may have to give it a tap to dislodge it from the locating dowels.
Now if you pull it back and down it may pull the reverse gear back on the main shaft a bit which is good, as it will give you a bit more room to disengage the reverse gear from the pivot arm.
Then rear housing should come off (you may have to twist it a little bit to one side still to disengage it)

If you put a little bit of grease on the new gasket when you go to put it back on it will hold it in place on the main housing.
Now the other pictures are to do with the thrust washers on the reverse idler gear.
These tend to move or fall off the reverse idle shaft when you disassemble the rear housing.
If you have a look at the pictures it shows what you need to do with them before reassembly if you do not locate them corectly they will bind up the reverse gear idler
and make it hard to turn the box from the input shaft when not in gear and will end up with them spinning in the box and damaging the housing.
To refit the rear housing on to the case it is a mater of locating the reverse gear pivot in to reverse gear then pushing the housing forward and
then locate the reverse gear idler in to the thrust washer then the back housing of the box.
Then locate on the dowels, fit a couple of bolts in to the housing and lightly tighten up.
If it gets harder to turn the input shaft when you have tightened it up it may of moved on the thrust washers.
Now tighten up the reverse gear pivot nut and try the operation of the reverse gear mechanism to make sure it is all working ok.
The pictures numbered 001 to 008 on the above link are to do with this text.

Also other than HK 1837's way of doing the layshaft bearings is that you can get them all to stay in place if you use Vaseline on the inside of the gear and also on the
rollers themselves.
You can also use it to hold the layshaft thrust washers in place when you put the gear back into the box.
Grease does the same thing but the vaso melts out real fast once the box warms up and lets the oil in to lube everything up quicker.
Just do not give it a hard time until it has had time for the oil to work its way in.
Cheers Paul.

I always use Vaseline or grease as Paul says, but it makes it even easier if you use a dowel, guaranteed no needle rollers will fall out then.

[HX76King]

Street Machine is doing a tech article on Aussie 4 Speed in the June Edition. It's on the 17th of May if your interested in seeing what he does.

I have been talking with him and he seems very helpful and he was ok with me watching him do my box so you could make sure that he does it to your standards.

[commodorenut]

..........he seems very helpful and he was ok with me watching him do my box so you could make sure that he does it to your standards.

Any specialist who lets you watch them work (even if it's from a distance) is someone I'd trust to do the job.
It's only the shonks or those with no confidence in the job who won't let you watch the progress.

I'd even be confident in his work if you had to watch from the front door of his factory, and he brought out all the bits he's removed from your box - and replaced with new ones.